The Language of the Gerudo
by Eaglechild
Summary: This is a short grammar and dictionary of the Gerudo language used in my story "The Longing of the Ren-Bird". Not all words are translated in the story, so if you want to look up the words, you will find them here.
1. Pronunciation

Pronunciation table

A - like the a in father  
B - like the b in brother  
C - like ts  
D - like the d in daughter  
E - like the first e in ren-deer  
F - like the f in father  
G - like the g in garden  
H - like the h in have  
I - like the "ee" in keep  
J - like the y in year  
K - like the k in kite  
L - a light l, more like the Spanish l in _los_  
M - like the m in mother  
N - like the n in night  
O - like the o in sore  
P - like the p in pin  
R - a rolled r like the Spanish r in _pero_  
S - like the s in sun  
T - like the t in tell  
U - like the "oo" in boot  
V - like the v in villain  
W - the same as V

Pronunciation

The Gerudo use other characters, but in this story, all the words and sentences in Gerudo are reproduced with Hylian (i.e., English) characters. The letters also designate the same sounds and are all pronounced exactly as in Hylian.

For English speakers: If you speak Gerudo, you need to pronounce the sounds more like in Spanish.

.

The Gerudo speak a rolling r.

.

The words are usually emphasized on the first syllable, but there are also exceptions:

Example: 'lasti, dar'sin, Sar'dun

The verb forms are emphasized the same way as the stem.

Example: 'nentris - 'nentriju, 'nentrijes, etc.

Composite verbs are emphasized on the first syllable of the stem.

For example: at-'nentris - at-'nentriju, at-'nentrijes


	2. Grammar

**Grammar**

Verbs

.

The infinitive form of the verbs ends in -s.

The personal endings in the present are: -ju, -jes, jet, -mo, -tes, -jut

The past tense is formed with the personal form of the auxiliary verb _sis_ (to be) and the participle of the verb. For the participle, the ending -l is appended to the root of the verb: tagril sijes - you searched, rovil siju - I fought. The order of the two parts of the past form is arbitrary and is usually laid as it is best pronounced.

Imperative: For the imperative, the suffix -j is appended to the root.

For example: mirij, at-nentrij, granij

For many verbs and adjectives, a suffixed verb or adjective is formed with the prefix at-, which is appended to the parent words by hyphen.

Example: nentris (give) - at-nentris (take away)

spartis (sleep) - at-spartis (wake up)

.

Nouns

.

The genitive form of nouns is made by appending -s, -is, or -nis to the stem.

Example: nerin - neris, tirin - tiris, drilla - drillanis

The plural of a noun is usually formed with the suffix -en or -nen.

For example: solun - solunen, lasti - lastinen

.

Courtesy forms

.

The Gerudo do not use courtesy forms of pronouns (like in German the _du_ or _Sie_ or _Ihr_ forms), but they always say _you_ or rather _thou_ , even to the King. Respect is expressed by placing the possessive pronoun _ri-su_ (my) before the name or the function.

Example: ri-su ruad - My King / Your Majesty

ri-su strani - my Sister

.

Number system

.

ur - one

div - two

tarin - three

alun - four

fert - five

sirt - six

surin - seven

olnin - eight

dresil - nine

dist - ten

tril - hundred

rolti - thousand

dist-ur - eleven

dist-div - twelve

divdist - twenty

divdist-ur - twenty-one

tarindist - thirty

tarindist-ur - thirty-one

etc.


	3. Dictionary

**Dictionary**

(Extract from the _Dictionary of Gerudo_ by Andyr Kendrice)

A

 **alis** \- to know: aliju, alijes, alijet, alimo, alites, aliju  
 **alun** \- four  
 **at** \- from, of the  
 **at-jartis** \- to let go: at-jartiju, at-jartijes, at-jartijet, at-jartimo, at-jartites, at-jartiju  
 **at-joris** \- to forget: at-joriju, at-jorijes, at-joritjet, at-jorimo, at-jorites, at-jorijut  
 **at-nentris** \- to take away: at-nentriju, at-nentrijes, etc.  
 **at-revis** \- to destroy: at-reviju, at-revijes, at-revijet, etc.  
 **at-rovis** \- to defend: at-roviju, at-rovijes, etc.  
 **at-spartis** \- to wake up, to awaken: at-spartiju, at-spartijes, etc.  
 **at-solnis** \- to get up, to stand up: at-solniju, at-solnijes, etc.  
 **at-tagris** \- to find: at-tagriju, at-tagrijes, etc.

B

 **ban** \- for, to, at  
 **ban ri** \- for me, to me  
 **bral** \- food  
 **bralis** \- to eat: braliju, bralijes, etc.

C

 **cedril** \- light, cedris - of the light (genitive)

D

 **darit** \- thank you  
 **dern** \- beam, ray  
 **Dern Cedris** \- Ray of Light (as a name)  
 **dernis** \- to go, to come, to walk: derniju, dernijes, dernijet, etc.  
 **dist** \- ten  
 **dist-div** \- twelve  
 **dist-ur** \- eleven  
 **div** \- two  
 **divdist** \- twenty  
 **divdist-ur** \- twenty one  
 **dorf** \- son, dorfis - of the son (genitive)  
 **dori** \- daughter, doris - of the daughter (genitive)  
 **dragin** \- dragon, drag - of the dragon (old form of the genitive, now dragis)  
 **Dragmire** \- Beloved of the Dragon (name)  
 **dralgan** \- daemon  
 **dresil** \- nine  
 **drilla** \- rose, drillanis - of the rose (genitive)  
 **druja** \- girlfriend, drujanis - of the girlfriend (genitive)  
 **dun** \- wind, dunis - of the wind (genitive)

E

 **elt** \- he, him, to him (male singular, also accusative and dative)  
 **elten** \- they (for males)  
 **elt-su** \- his  
 **elten-su** \- their (for males)  
 **elti** \- she, her, to her (female singular, also accusative and dative)  
 **elti-su** \- hers  
 **eltinen** \- they (female plural, also accusative and dative)  
 **eltinen-su** \- their (for females)

F

 **fert** \- five

G

 **gani** \- goddess  
 **ganon** \- god  
 **Ganondorf** \- Son of the God (as a name)  
 **gerti** \- cloud  
 **granis** \- to greet: graniju, granijes etc.

J

 **jartis** \- to carry, to hold: jartiju, jartijes, jartijet, etc.  
 **jartij-dori** \- daughter carrier (baby carrier)  
 **joris** \- to hear, to listen: joriju, jorijes, jorijet, jorimo, jorites, jorijut  
 **juun** \- yes

L

 **lasti** \- sun, lastis - of the sun (genitive)  
 **Laira** \- Lark (name)  
 **lauran** \- magic, lauranis - of the magic (genitive)  
 **lessar** \- saddle  
 **liss** \- flower  
 **lissu** \- like, also, and

M

 **malris** \- to want: malriju, malrijes, malrijet, etc.  
 **mire** \- darling, beloved  
 **mirin** \- love  
 **miris** \- to love: miriju, mirijes, mirijet, mirimo, mirites, mirijut  
 **mirlin** \- lover

N

 **nal** \- no, not  
 **naris** \- to kiss: nariju, narijes, narijet, narimo, narites, narijut  
 **nentris** \- to give: nentriju, nentrijes, etc.  
 **nerin** \- night, neris - of the night (genitive)  
 **nest** \- what, which  
 **nestir** \- who  
 **Niala** \- Cactus Blossom (as a name)  
 **nimran** \- Temple

O

 **olnin** \- eight

P

 **prelis** \- to say, to tell, to speak  
 **prellan** \- history, legend

R

 **rasil** \- evil, bad  
 **Ren-Daltin** \- Ren-Bird  
 **reslar** \- hair  
 **revin** \- hand  
 **revis** \- to create, to build: reviju, revijes, revijet, etc.  
 **revlan** \- creation  
 **revlin** \- creator  
 **ri** \- I, myself, me  
 **Rista** \- Pearl (as a name)  
 **ri-sen** \- with me  
 **ri-su** \- my, mine  
 **riit** \- please  
 **rimo** \- we  
 **rimo-sen** \- with us  
 **rimo-su** \- our, ours  
 **rinnais** \- to see, to watch: rinnaju, rinnajes, rinnajet, rinnaimo, rinnaites, rinnajut  
 **rinnan** \- eye, face  
 **rinnan lastis** \- face of the sun  
 **rolti** \- a thousand  
 **rovis** \- to fight: roviju, rovijes, rovijet, rovimo, rovites, rovijut  
 **ruad** \- king, majesty  
 **ruadi** \- queen  
 **rundis** \- to ride: rundiju, rundijes, rundijet, rundimo, rundites, rundijut

S

 **sanris** \- to heal: sanriju, sanrijes, sanrijet, etc.  
 **sar** \- desert  
 **Sardun** \- Desert Wind (as a name)  
 **Sarnimran** \- the Desert Temple  
 **sen** \- with  
 **sertu** \- but  
 **Sirla** \- Flame (as a name)  
 **sirt** \- six  
 **sis** \- to be: siju, sijes, sijet, simo, sites, sijut  
 **skalin** \- mask  
 **skuris** \- to think: skuriju, skurijes, skurijet, skurimo, skurites, skurijut  
 **slahis** \- to happen: slahiju, slahijes, etc.  
 **solnis** \- to stand: solniju, solnijes, solnijet, etc.  
 **spartis** \- to sleep: spartiju, spartijes, etc.  
 **staran** \- man, staranen - men  
 **strani** \- sister, woman, wife, stranen - sisters, women, wifes  
 **surin** \- seven

T

 **tagris** \- to search: tagriju, tagrijes, etc.  
 **tal** \- star  
 **tarin** \- three  
 **tarindist** \- thirty  
 **tirin** \- morning, tiris - of the morning (genitive)  
 **Tiristal** \- Morning Star  
 **trellin** \- moon, trellis - of the moon (genitive)  
 **tril** \- hundred

U

 **ur** \- one

V

 **va** \- you (also accusative and dative)  
 **va-su** \- your, yours  
 **vaje** \- you, yours (plural)  
 **vaje-su** \- your, yours (plural)  
 **velnis** \- to sing: velniju, velnijes, velnijet, velnimo, velnites, velnijut  
 **velin** \- song  
 **versil** \- good  
 **Viss** \- hormone produced in the body of a member of the Gerudo people, which bonds to a man (or in a male Gerudo, to a woman.) In Hylian it is called oxytocin :-)

W

 **weris** \- to jump: weriju, werijes, werijet, werimo, werites, werijut  
 **Weri** \- Leap (as a name)  
 **winlin** \- mouth


	4. Numbers

Number system

.

ur - one

div - two

tarin - three

alun - four

fert - five

sirt - six

surin - seven

olnin - eight

dresil - nine

dist - ten

tril - hundred

rolti - thousand

dist-ur - eleven

dist-div - twelve

divdist - twenty

divdist-ur - twenty-one

tarindist - thirty

tarindist-ur - thirty-one

etc.


	5. Phrases

Translated phrases

 _At-nentrites elti-su skalin._ \- Remove her mask.

 _Jartimo elti._ \- We hold her.

 _Ruad dernijet. Malrijet rinnais elti._ \- The King is coming. He wants to see her.

 _Nal skurij, Sheikah!_ \- Don't (even) think about it, Sheikah!

 _Nest elti prelil sijet, Weri?_ \- What did she say, Weri?

 _Nalin, ri-su ruad. Sertu strani at Sheikah lauranis sijet. Skurimo Impa sijet._ \- Nothing, my King. But she is a magically gifted woman of the Sheikah. We believe she is Impa.

 _At-nentrij darsin, riit._ \- Remove the dagger, please.

 _Lissu solunen._ \- The legs too.

 _At-nentrites lessar at Sardun, riit._ \- Remove the saddle from Sardun, please.

 _Prelij stranen, versil sis ban elti, Risha. Nentrij elti nest ban bralis, lissu prelij Nabooru, at-spartis elti ban olnin, riit. - Tell the Sisters to be kind (good) to her, Risha. Give her something to eat, and tell Nabooru to wake her up at eight, please._

 _Rinnaju va, ri-su ruad._ \- I see you, My King.

 _Granij rinnan lastis, strani Ranalla._ \- Greet the face of the Sun, Sister Ranalla.

 _Lissu va, strani Letria._ \- You too, Sister Letria.

 _Surin lastinen, elt ri-su sijet, Sheikah!_ \- Seven suns, then the King is mine, Sheikah!

 _Wersil mirlin sijes, ri-su ruad. Sertu elti mirijes, nal ri._ \- You are a good lover, My King, but you love her, not me.

 _Juun, ri-su ruad. Rimo-su dorf at-spartil sijet. Mirij ri._ \- Yes, My King. Our son has awoken. Love me.

 _Gerudo prelijes?_ \- You speak Gerudo?

 _Juun, ganis mire._ \- Yes, Beloved of the Goddess.

 _Riit, rinnaj ri._ \- Please, look at me.

 _Nestir sijes?_ \- Who are you?

 _Skyr, ganis mire._ \- (I am) Skyr, Beloved of the Goddess.

 _At-nentrij va-su revin at elt, Sheikah!_ \- Take your hand off him, Sheikah!

 _Staran ri-su sijet. Nal at-nentrijes elt at ri!_ \- This man belongs to me. You will not take him away from me.

 _Dernij ban elti._ \- Go to her.

 _Nentrij va-su mirin elti._ \- Give your love to her.

 _Darit, ganis mire._ \- Thank you, Beloved of the Goddess.

 _Darit, ban ri sanril sijes._ \- Thank you for healing me.

 _Darit, ban ri dernil sijes._ \- Thank you for coming to me.


End file.
